Archive for October, 2012

It has been raining scams under the UPA but the smugness with which it sits back is hurting. We have a Prime Minister whom everyone says is not corrupt. I personally would like to believe it but somehow I think that being uncorrupt in that he and his family has not been directly involved in taking or giving bribes alone cannot put the PM above the purview of corruption. The very fact that he tolerates corruption of his ministers-the very fact that he is silent when his ministers are involved in scams-the very fact that he pretends not to see, hear about scams, and the very fact that he does not have the guts to tell these scam esters in loud and clear terms to put in their papers because a tainted minister /MP unless cleared will not be tolerated in his government; reveals that he not only tolerates corruption-has no will to stem the rot and no will and backbone to stand against it is to me abetment of corruption.
When had India become so corrupt? It is the weakness of the PM that has encouraged the corrupt. Take one case of Salman Kurshid.It is fine for the latter to exhibit photos the dates which do not tally with the period when he is accused of cheating the differently abled but that the Law minister has held out an open threat to Arvind Kerjiwal shows to what level the law minister can stoop. It is a clear case against the Law minister-threatening a person .He seem to be drunk with power. Now a Law minister with such a mind set cannot continue in office when a probe is on. How honest will the probe be and will not the persons involved be threatened? In this case why had the PM not asked Salman Kurshid to step down till the probe is over?Is that a difficult option and is not an expected action from a PM?In spite of scams raining not one looter has been convicted.Law will takes its logical course is the standard answer-and in this country what is the logical course-simply allow it to run into oblivion. People have a short memory so throw a few more crumbs and wave the hand to ask votes for the HAND.In no country is corruption so deep and vast.It pervades every area. How can the country prosper if and when there is such massive corruption?
No wonder Robert Vadra called this a banana Republic.He must have overlooked the fact that his mother-in-law is chiefly responsible for the making of the banana Republic. But then from what reports say one must realize that Robert Vadra does not understand what he says and I wonder if he knows that a banana republic means.
Progressively and systematically the political class has become the biggest hurdles to development and is thoroughly corrupt. They are drunk with power and consider themselves larger than life. They are so engrossed in their own ‘power and prestige and privileges.-That an MP brandished his gun at a toll booth attendant when asked to pay the toll.Robert Vadra is exempted from security check-his baggages are not checked. Why this exemption? After all Vadra is not even an MP.It must be noted that in a democracy there is no first family. But even the media has been mentioning of a first family in this country. This larger than life size has been an acquisition by the politicians on the basis of thinking themselves a ‘privileged’ lot-hence the entitled. How did they blow themselves up to such bloated figures? Take for example the following. They are paid a tax free salary and yet they are exempted for even paying a toll fee. Why should anybody, for that matter right from the President down to the common man not be made to pay a toll fee? After all for such a paltry amount why such a long list of exemptions?
The moment exemptions are made the trouble starts. A sense of entitled class grows …Exemption from paying rent, water charges, and electricity charges etc are part of the privileges.. Look at Mrs Sonia Gandhi living in No 10 Janpath(how is she entitled to live in No 10 Janpath is another question which is estimated about 400 crores) does not pay water charges, electricity charges et al. Why this exemption? It is shameful that even the curtains are provided for the MPs and Ministers-their laundry bills are picked up. Are they not drawing a salary ?Imagine the amount the GOI shells out in maintaining this class of politicians at the cost of aam admis.It is the privileges which are extended to the political class which gives them an aura of being above the ordinary. After all they represent the people and must feel the pulse of the people.They must exhibit a humility and sensitivity as representatives of the people who are sweating it out for two meals a day.Is it not shameful that the MPs are even provided subsidized food when Parliament is in session? Are they below the poverty line? Why such an inexplicable privilege to the richest. It is a contradiction.
The arrogance of the Ministers and the MPs seem to have crossed all limits. We have Beni Prasad Verma stating that 71 lakh is too small an amount for a cabinet minister to commit a fraud. To what extend the bloated thinking of the ministers and MPs have gone? Can there be any parallel to such arrogance? This is also because the Ministers and MPs are a pampered lot.They do not feel the pinch of inflation-because they do not dip their hands into their pockets for their expenses. On the other hand they not only earn a tax free salary but also huge amounts accrue to them when they travel-sit on committees etc. Just look the mindset of how the Haryana government is pampering the 30 MPs who are on a fact finding mission regarding the rapes in that State. One would think that these MPs are going to look into the dehumanization and shame heaped on women. They are going to hold out some sort of consolation, wipe the tears of the violated and promise succor. On the other hand for these 30 MPs the Haryana government has made the fact finding mission a real excursion-a treat. The gravity of the situation is forgotten in the kind of high class arrangements made for these 30 MPs-a Volvo with DVD facility and English films to be provided by the transport department. A luxury car for the chairperson, of the committee along with a standby car .The venue for the committee’s breakfast and lunch is Tiliary Lake in Rohtak –a scenic resort. This reveals the callousness on one hand and the entitled privileges on the other.The mindset is-does not matter what the people suffer-at their cost let us make merry. The MPs will also collect a huge sum each for the days spend in Haryana and also per diem and per mile travel bata. This is the brazen exhibition of our MPs and ministers. And of course their sensibilities are triggered when Parliamentarians are found fault with. It is then privilege motion against the under privileged to uphold the entitled. This is surely a banana republic without a soul. Nero fiddled while Rome burned-here we have a whole class of politicians who puts even Nero to shame.
Dr Mrs Hilda Raja,
Vadodara,Gujarat